Family Reunion part 1
by kathmolko
Summary: *bitter grin* Anna Sartin, you will probably hate this. Set 3 years after A Rose... Jessi is fed up with the witness protection program and decides to find James, but finds somebody a helluva lot worse.


Life Was Never Meant to be Easy  
  
  
This story takes place three years after the events of A Rose By Any Other Name, and has twice the shocks!  
  
  
This story has a different format, which I will transfer to the Larceny Powers series, so I hope you all like it out there.  
  
Statements marked with ** are describing a scene, or what a narrator would say or whatever.   
  
  
Life was never meant to be easy.  
That is a phrase I have used many times in my life. If life was easy than I'd be a different person, like James is different to me.  
He had a wealthy and privileged childhood. He lived in a giant mansion on his parents' estate. I lived in the slums.  
My mother had forked out enough cash for me to go to Pokemon Technical, a private school, but fat lot of good that did us. I met James and we ran away.  
Thank God it is all over now. Everything. Miranda and Giovanni are safely behind bars, Cassidy, Butch and I are still hiding from Team Rocket, and who knows about Jessibelle...  
And James...poor sweet James. He'd lost an arm in the chase of Giovanni, when we had struggled in the jungle for all those days and nights...  
Miranda had tried to shoot me, and James had saved me by jumping infront of the bullet...and his arm had been amputated not long after.  
Cassidy, Butch and I are forbidden to see James. The police won't allow any contact with previous acquaintances. Too risky, they say. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had've stayed at Pokemon Tech...  
I hate living my life this way, so many secrets, so much that I have to live with. All I want is to see James again, that would sure as Hell take a load of my mind. But it is forbidden, and it will endanger my life...  
But what should I care? I am Jessi, think of all the times I have put my life on the line, all the risks I've taken, all the times I have disobeyed authority.  
I slammed my fist down on the cheap coffee table of my flat. Who was I to give in without trying?  
There was nothing that could actually stop me, anyhow.  
  
  
  
As I drove through the underground tunnel from Celadon to Cerulean my knuckles were white. I was the only driver here, and the darkness was getting on my nerves.  
A small series of white lights lit the road ahead, and when I squinted they appeared to stretch on forever...  
"AAGH!"  
The dim lights suddenly brightened to blinding point. In one fluid movement my hands flew off the steering wheel and my car careered into the side of the tunnel, crumpling the bonnet.  
Thankfully my car had been done over by the Witness Protection Program for a scenario such as this, and the airbags had protected me from my head smashing into the windshield.   
I was shaken up badly, but other than that I was OK.  
I pushed against the door, but it wouldn't open, the metal was warped out of shape. I had to get out. The windscreen!  
I grasped my seatbelt in my hand and hurled it with all my strength at the windshield. It chipped, but didn't smash, which wasn't entirely surprising, it was bulletproof glass.  
Once again I swung the metal clip into the glass, another long crack appeared. Again. Yes! Success! A hole the size of my fist was cut into the shattered glass.  
Just as I was about to swing the clip again the lights began to strobe, on, off, on, off...  
It was impossible to concentrate.  
Drumbeats rolled up from the floor and vibrated the walls.  
The insistent drumming was so loud that I pressed my palms into my ears to block it out, though that did little use to inhibit it.  
Finally the drums boomed to a stop. There was an uneasy silence, I felt like a Rattata that a cunning Persian had tracked down and I was just waiting for it to pounce.  
I swung the metal clip again and half of the screen collapsed.  
"So much for double strength bullet proof glass," I muttered as I squeezed out of my seat.  
Being careful to avoid the jagged glass I crawled out onto the crushed bonnet.   
"Nice to see you again, Jessica,"  
I would recognize that evil Jersey accent from anywhere. Why was I stupid enough to try and find James? I should have known that cunning bitch wouldn't be far away from him, as usual.  
She looked me up and down as I crouched on the smashed bonnet of my car in my dark blue singlet and denim cutoffs.  
She was dressed in all black, black trench coat, black dress pants and boob tube, her elaborate red coils partially hidden under a black beret.  
"Jessibelle," I sneered.  
"Off to find your beloved James, I see," she said viciously, inspecting her long black claws.  
"Is that the case?" I asked, unable to look into her eyes, let alone find a proper answer to her question.  
"He and I still officially married, you know," Jessibelle said breezily, acting as though I could have no possible interest in what she was saying.  
"That so?" I said, trying to hide my concern.  
"There were no divorce papers, no court case. If there was, I'd win anyway."  
"How?" I asked, my concern forgotten, my anger spreading around my body.  
She patted her coat pocket. "A lot of people are susceptible to bribery these days."  
"You're sick," I shook my head "Money can't buy everything."  
"It got me an education, a husband, a job, a perfect record, respect, designer clothes. What more could a girl ask for?"  
"Love." I said simply. It was true, I knew James didn't love her.  
"And I suppose James loves you?"  
I couldn't think of anything to say. I didn't know whether he did or not.  
"Does he love you?" I asked instead.  
"Course." She answered smugly "And if you want to argue that case, let's go see him, shall we?"  
Jessibelle was up to something. She had known from the start that I was going to see James, it wasn't like her to give me what I wanted so easily. There was something going on here, an ulterior motive hidden somewhere.  
  
  
  
**As the two women stepped into the light something flashed between them, the outline of their faces glowing against the black background**  
  
  
  
  
Jessibelle and I looked up at the doors to the mansion. A thousand thoughts ran through my head. I'd dreamt of the day I would arrive back here for so long now, I just never imagined Jessibelle would be here beside me.  
She flicked a Medusa-like coil over her shoulder and knocked three times on the door.  
The butler, Jeeves, answered it.  
He looked at Jessibelle and I in confusion, as though he was struggling to work something out.  
"Jessibelle," he greeted warmly "A pleasure to see you back again, this is a big day for visiting, your parents are here as well. Who is your friend?"  
He motioned to me. Jessibelle frowned slightly.  
"This is Jessica."  
"Oh I see. It's a pleasure Jessica,"  
I nodded and smiled awkwardly. How was I supposed to act in this kind of situation?  
"Master James!" Jeeves hollered, producing a megaphone from God knows where "Jessibelle and her lady friend are here to see you."  
Jeeves turned to us again. "I'll leave you with him." And then he walked off to make some tea or whatever.  
Shortly afterwards James walked slowly over. To my total shock I saw two hands protruding out of his blue velvet sleeves.  
He looked at Jessibelle for a second and began to turn away. I gave him a pleading look, but he didn't see it. He reached for the door handle to shut us out, then he tensed. He looked at me. Something danced in his eyes.  
"Big Jess?"  
I smiled warmly. "Little Jim."  
Jessibelle sneered. "Prepare for trouble."  
Then she waltzed into the house.  
"Mama! Papa!" she squealed so loudly James and I heard her from outside.  
"Come in," James said graciously, gesturing with his right arm.  
I noticed he hadn't moved his left arm yet.  
"It's a fake limb." He said softly, as though he was reading my mind. "It's good, but I can't move it. I wear it so I can feel, you know, normal"  
He rolled his sleeve up to show me. His entire left arm was skin colored rubber. It was unnerving to look at. I shifted my gaze to his face.  
His eyes seemed glazed. I guess he was remembering the kiss.  
"Come and meet Jessibelle's parents." He offered, studying my face intently.  
I followed him into the sitting room.  
"Bill and Gwen, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Jessica."  
I smiled nervously and noticed that there was no family resemblance between Jessibelle or her parents.  
  
  
**Bill and Gwen fidgeted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact with Jessi. They asked her all sorts of questions and kept exchanging nervous glances with James's parents, who shared the concern**  
  
  
Gwen twisted her hands in her lap once Bill had finished interrogating me. Jessibelle tapped her watch twice, smiling sweetly at James.  
BANG!  
Something hit me on the head. As I blanked out from the pain I saw smoke filling the room around me, and the others fell onto the ground beside me.  
James gave me a desperate look and then he too, lost consciousness.  
  
  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
What's this? Another romance series? Dear me, what a shock!  
  
Next time Jessi escapes from the manor that Jessibelle has imprisoned everyone in as a trap for someone, although no-one knows who, and she decides to fight fire with fire, and she and Miranda stage a jailbreak.  
  
  
Stay tuned for more,  
Love and Kisses,  
Mew2  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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